Exhaust gas conditioner



- ug- 17, 1954 c. E. sroL'rz EXHAUST GAS CONDITIONER 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 14, 1952 l 10 DIESEL. ENGINE COMPARTMEMT XHMST GAS CONDWIONCR 1 ug- W 1954 c. E. sToLTz EXHAUST GAS CONDITIONER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 t l l l l I l [lil Il, Il

Filed April 14, 1952 aff llg- 17, 1954 c. E. sToLTz EXHAUST GAS CONDITIONER 4 Sheets-SheeI 4 Filed April 14, 1952 mllmlh.,

l HIIHJ... hiii6g Patented Aug. 17, 1954 EXHAUST GAS CONDITIONER Charles E. Stoltz, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application April 14, 1952, Serial N0. 282,213

9 Claims.

This invention relates generally to apparatus for purifying the exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine and more particularly to apparatus for conditioning the exhaust gas from a compression ignited oil engine such as may be used for driving a locomotive in a mine underground.

As is known, the operating characteristics of diesel engines are such that the exhaust gases therefrom are relatively low in carbon monoxide content as compared to a gasoline engine, but other considera-tions prevent 4their use in Iconiined spaces such as an lunderground mine. These considerations are mainly the other products of combustion of the oil fuel therefor, such products including oxides of nitrogen and aldehydcs such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and acrolein, Oxides of nitrogen are extremely toxic, and concentrations in the Ventilating air in excess of twenty-live parts per million are not permitted by many mine safety codes. Aldehydes found in such exhaust gases account mainly for the odor thereof and are extremely irritating, and the recommended maximum limit for aldehydes is not in excess of ten parts per million.

Sulfur present in the fuel likewise causes irritating products of combustion, either sulfur dioxide or sulfur trioxide. The concentration of such sulfur products is not permitted to exceed ten parts per million for prolonged exposure.

All of the above products of combustion can be removed from the exhaust gases of a diesel engine, at least to such a degree that the percentage of such products in the ambient surrounding the engine is kept to below the maximum limit prescribed for each. Devices of the prior art for conditioning the exhaust gases have in general made use of a water reservoir and a tortuous path over or through the water. The degree of cooling desired for the gases in many cases has not been adequate nor have the products of combustion been removed to a value below that permitted.

According to the present invention the exhaust gases from the engine are directed intoa chamber in such a fashion that 4the gases move downward past a vertical wall of a closed reservoir of conditioning water so that the gases are preliminarily cooled a rather large amount. The bottom portion of the vertical wall is foraminated so as to divide the exhaust gases into a great number of iine jets, the thusly divided gases being enabled to bubble up through the reservoir of water to be washed thereby. .During such bubbling action the gases become entrained with water vapor, and the bubbles escaping from the top surface of the water strike a baille where a large portion of the entrained water is enabled to fall back into the reservoir. A compartment containing limestone fragments of Sizes passing a 21/2" and retained on a 2" screen is located above the baille and has foraminous side walls so that the gases may pass around the fragments by way of the voids therebetween.

The limestone fragments serve a double purpose, one of reacting with any acids of nitrogen or sulfur still present in the gases, and second, of scrubbing water out of the gases so that such water may be returned back to the reservoir either by way of the foraminous bottom of the compartment or by way of a vertical return pipe to the water reservoir.

The water reservoir is of such vcapacity as to supply sufcient water properly to condition the gases during a usual operating shift, but in the event the water should diminish in supply below a critical level, means are operable to shut ofi the engine until the supply of water is replenished.

With the foregoing considerations in mind it is a principal object of this invention to provide a dies-el engine exhaust gas conditioner which will function more efliciently than the conditioners of the prior art.

Another object is to aiord a simple construction for a diesel exhaust gas conditioner, in which the gases are rst cooled by moving past a Vertical wall of a water reservoir, the lower part of the wall forming a means for dividing the gases into small jets to be divided into small bubbles moving through the body of water for removal of water soluble components of the gases.

A further and salient object is to afford an exhaust gas conditioner which will be operable for at least the duration of a normal working shift, with-out the need of replenishing the water therein, and to afford in such a conditioner means for stopping the engine if the conditioning Water falls below a certain level.

Other objects and important features of the engine will be apparent from a study of the following description taken with the drawings which together illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and the best mode of applying the principles thereof. Other embodiments will be suggested to those having the benefits of the teachings herein, and it is therefore intended that such other embodiments be reserved especially as they fall within the purview and scope of the claims appended.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side View of a diesel engine powered mine locomotive having embodied therein an `exhaust gas conditioner according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the conditioner, the engine control apparatus which is operable by diminution of the supply of conditioning water being shown somewhat schematically;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the conditioner looking from the left to the right as seen in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged front elevation view thereof;

Fig. 5 is a plan view to the same scale as Fig. 4, certain parts being broken away to show the interior of the conditioner; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken along the lines 5-6 of Figs. 4 and 5.

Referring now to the drawings, the present invention is shown as embodied in a dieselpowered mine locomotive I0, having wheels II adapted to move the locomotive over rails I 2. The exhaust gases from the Diesel engine, not shown, of the locomotive I are passed through a conditioner referred to generally by the reference numeral I5 and mounted upon a support I6 situated at the forward end of the locomotive II).

The conditioner I5 is designed to condition the exhaust gases from the engine and to remove therefrom noxious and irritating constituents, so that when the gases are expelled from the conditioner I5 to the ambient, the presence therein of such noxious and irritating constituents such as nitrogen oxide compounds, sulfur compounds and aldehydes in the form of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and acrolein will be in such percentages as to be below a maximum permitted by the usual safety codes.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings, the exhaust gas conditioner comprises a housing I1 having side walls I8 and I9, a rear wall 2l and a front wall 22, the housing including a bottom 23 resting upon the support I 6. The rear wall 2| has spaced mounting brackets 24, and the front wall 22 has spaced mounting brackets 25, for securing the housing I1 to the support I6. has sloping portions 21 and 28 which extend away from a centrally located horizontal top frame opening 29, the contour of the sloping portions 21 and 28 and the top frame 29 generally corresponding to the top contours of the hous- P ing for the diesel engine of the mine locomotive I0.

The top frame portion is fitted with a substantially rectangular shaped closure 3l resting upon a gasket 32 held in a recess 33 in the top frame 29, the closure 3l being held in firm engagement with the gasket 32 and the top frame portion 29 by lugs 34 held in position by studs 3S and nuts 31. A pair of handles 38 provide for easy removal of the closure 3I when desired.

A hollow manifold 39, in the shape generally of a dove prism overlies a rectangular opening 44| in the top of rear wall 2l, the manifold 39 including walls 42 which are welded at 43 to the edges of the rectangular opening 4 I. The manifold 39 provides a means of connection to the conditioner I5 for an exhaust pipe 44 from the engine of the locomotive I0. The connection includes a flange 46 on the exhaust pipe 44 and a flange 41 in the manifold 39, the two being held together by screws 48 tapped into the flange 41.

The fiange 41 is formed integrally with a substantially T-shaped fitting 49 having arms 5I which diverge within the dove-shaped manifold 39 to distribute the exhaust gases from the ex- The top of the housing Ii i haust pipe 44, and so that they will not impinge directly upon a vertical partition 53.

The manifold 39 thus opens on to an expansion chamber 52 which extends for the length of rear wall 2l and is defined by a vertical partition 53 welded at 54 to the bottom 23 and to the underside of the frame portion 29 and sloping portions 21 and 28 at 56. The vertical partition 53 is held in position additionally by vertical web members 51 having perforations 58 which help to equalize the velocity of the gases entering the expansion chamber 52 from the exhaust pipe 44.

The vertical partition 53 thus defines with the front wall 22 a reservoir 60 for a supply of conditioning Water. The reservoir 60 is filled at a iller hole 6I located in the sloping top portion 21, the filler hole being closed by a pipe plug S2. The reservoir 60 is lled to the level shown, such level being regulated by an overflow elbow fitting 63 positioned in the front wall 22 and closed by a pipe plug 64. The reservoir 60 is drained at drain plugs S5 located one each at the bottom of the reservoir in the side walls I8 and I9.

The exhaust gases entering the expansion chamber 52 move downward in heat exchange relationship over the surface of the vertical partition 53, and are directed as small streams thereof through small openings 66 near the bottom of the vertical partition 53. The exhaust gases then bubble up and across the reservoir 6G through the water therein.

Since the exhaust gases from the engine contain oxides of both sulfur and nitrogen, and aldehydes such as acetaldehyde, formaldehyde and acrolein, all of which are soluble in water, a large proportion of such constituents of the exhaust gases will be dissolved in the water in the reservoir E by the passage therethrough of the small bubbles of such gases emerging through the openings G6.

A baie `61 is positioned a slight distance above the top surface of the water within the reservoir 6U and is held by weldments 68 and 69 to the inside of the front wall 22 and the vertical partition 53 respectively. The baffle 61 is impinged by bubbles of exhaust gas emerging from the surface of the water in the reservoir 60. Such bubbles contain entrapped water and the bursting of the bubbles by impingement against the baffle 51 causes the water thereof to fall back into the reservoir Si).

A compartment 15 is disposed above the baille S1 and comprises a foraminated bottom 1I spaced above the baffle 51 and foraminated side walls E2 and '53, the front wall 22 and the rear wall 2 I. The compartment 'I0 is lled through the open frame 29 after removal of the closure 3l with limestone fragments 14. Preferably, the limestone fragments i4 are sized to pass at 21/2 screen and to be retained on a 2 screen.

The foraminated bottom 1I and the foraminated side wall 12 having openings 16 therein for exhaust gases emerging from the water reservoir 5G, some of which exhaust gases have been deWa-tered in part by impinging against the underside of the balle 6l.

The openings 18 together with the voids between the fragments 'E4 thus provide further passageways for the cooled and partly conditioned exhaust gases, further conditioning being achieved by action of the limestone fragments 14. The limestone chemically interacts with any acid constituents remaining in the exhaust gases, such'as nitrogen and sulfur oxide compounds.

The voids between the'fragrnents 14 and the surfaces thereof enable the .exhaust gases further to be dewatered, the water wrong out therefrom returning back to the reservoir 6! through the holes 76 in the bottom "si The gases which have been further conditioned within the compartment 'lo leave the compartment 'id through openings 'Vi in the foraminated side wall 'I3 to enter a further dewatering chamber 'i8 which is defined by a sloping bottom i9, which is substantially parallel to the inclined top portion 28, and by the front wall 22 and the vertical partition 53.

An exhaust pipe 8l extends above the bottom 79 of the chamber lf3 and dov/n through the reservoir til, terminating below the bottom 23 of the housing il to lead the completely conditioned exhaust gases to ambient. As seen more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, the bottom 23 is reinforced by a flange 82 welded both to the bottom 23 and the exhaust pipe Si, so as to be tight against leakage of water from the reservoir 6o.

A return pipe e3 leads from the lowest point of the chamber 18 and extends `below the surface of the water in the reservoir 6'@ to a point near the bottom of the reservoir.

It will be seen that any water entering the chamber i8 will be returned to the reservoir 6B by the return pipe S3 rather than be discharged by the exhaust pipe 8i.

The conditioner according to the present invention operates most efficiently when sufficient water is maintained Within the reservoir E9. In order to insure that the engine is operable only when sufficient water is present in the reservoir 6B means are provided to shut off the engine when the water level drops below a certain level. Referring particularly to Fig. 2, the housing il has alongside thereof a standpipe Se communicating with the reservoir do by a short length of pipe or tubing 3G. The top of the standpipe 34 is closed and is connected by a tube 8l to the closed leg 83 of a U-shaped manometer tube S9, the other leg .fil being open to atmospheric pressure. Les 89 has a contact 92 therein connected .by a lead 93 to a source of power Sli-i as the battery shown. Leg 83 has a conta-ct 35 connected by a lead -S'i through a relay 98 and thence to ground shown.

The U-shaped manometer tube 89 is filled with mercury and when the reservoir 6i? is lled lwith water to the level L1 the mercury makes contact f with contact s2, being pushed away from contact 96 by the air entrapped in the tube Si. However, when the level in the reservoir Sii falls to L2, contact will be made by the mercury with the contact point 26 to energize the relay 98.

The relay 98 has an armature v9e which upon energization of the relay Q8 `closes a circuit including a lead i di branching from the lead @E through a solenoid idg. A solenoid armature idd is movable upon energization of the solenoid to2 is connected through a linkage, not shown, to shut of the supply of air to the engine of the locomotive i thereby stopping the same.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the exhaust conditioner according to the present invention presents many advantages. The chamber 52 enables the gases nrst to be expanded and then partially cooled by preliminary heat exchange with the water within the reservoir te by moving past the partition 53. The same partition also nely divides the gases for dispersion through the water of the chamber 60 further cooling the gases and removing therefrom by solution nitrogen and sulfur oxide compounds and aldehydes. The baiiie 51 also pro- 6. vides a means giving a .somewhat tortuous path to the gases leaving the surface of the water -before entering the dewatering compartment 1B, at the same time affording breaking .up of the bubbles containing entrained water.

All of the gases leaving the water reservoir S0 must travel .over the surface of the limestone fragments in the compartment 1X0 thereby Iinsuring that chemical and scrubbing .action is afforded further to condition the gases. The gases emerging from the compartment l0 and entering the chamber 78 are finally separated from any water contained therein, such separated water returning' such constituents in the ambient is maintained well below the maximum permitted amounts.

While the invention has been described in terms of an embodiment which has been found especially suitable in practice, the scope of the invention is intended to be limited only by the terms of the claims here appended.

I claim:

1. A conditioner for removing irritating and noxious constituents from .the exhaust gases of a Diesel engine or the like which comprises a housing having therein a reservoir adapted to contain water, a vertical partition spaced from one of the side walls of said housing, said partition dening one wall of said reservoir and a chamber with one wall of said housing, a manifold connected to said chamber and having means therein for diverting exhaust gases in directions alongside said partition, said chamber providing for expansion of exhaust gases from said engine, web members spacing said partition from the said one wall of said housing and having openings extending therealong for equalizing the velocity of the gases entering said chamber from said manifold, the partition providing a surface for heat exchange between the water of said reservoir and said exhaust gases, said partition being foraminated along the bottom portions thereof to divide the partially cooled and expanded exhaust gases into small gaseous streams adapted to bubble up through the water contained in said reservoir, a baiiie positioned above the top surface of said reservoir adapted to be impinged by bubbles of said exhaust gas emerging from the water in said reservoir containing entrapped water so as to release the Wat-er therefrom, a compartment disposed above said baiile containing fragmented material for entrapment in the voids thereof of water entrained in said exhaust gases not having been so removed by said baiiie, said compartment having side walls and at bottom which are foraminated, a chamber within said housing disposed over said reservoir and communicating with said compartment, an exhaust pipe extending from said chamber to ambient, and a return pipe from said chamber to said reservoir, the end of said return pipe extending below the level of the water in said reservoir for returning water to .said reservoir which has become entrapped in said last name chamber.

2. A conditioner for removing irritating and noxious constituents from the exhaust gases of a Diesel engine or the like which comprises a housing having therein a reservoir adapted to contain Water, a vertical partition spaced from one of the side walls of said housing, said partition defining one wall of said reservoir and a chamber with one wall of said housing, a manifold connected to said chamber and having means therein for diverting exhaust gases in directions alongside said partition, said chamber providing for expansion of exhaust gases from said engine, web members spacing said partition from the said one wall of said housing and having openings extending therealong for equalizing the velocity of the gases entering said chamber from said manifold, the partition providing a surface of heat exchange between the Water of said reservoir and said exhaust gases, said partition being foraminated along the bottom portions thereof to divide the partially cooled and expanded exhaust gases into small gaseous streams adapted to bubble up through the water contained in said reservoir, a baiiie positioned above the top surface of said reservoir adapted to be impinged by bubbles of said exhaust gas emerging from the water in said reservoir containing entrapped water so as to release the water therefrom, a compartment disposed above Said baiiie containing fragmented material for entrapment in the voids thereof of water entrained in said exhaust gases not having been so removed by said baiiie, said compartment having side walls and a bottom which are foraminated, a chamber within said housing disposed over said reservoir and communicating with said compartment, and an exhaust pipe extending from said chamber to ambient.

3. A conditioner for removing irritating and noxious constituents from the exhaust gases of a Diesel engine or the like which comprises a housing having therein a reservoir adapted to contain water, a vertical partition spaced from one of the side walls of said housing, said partition defining one Wall of said reservoir and a chamber with one wall of said housing, said chamber providing for expansion of exhaust gases from said engine, the partition providing a surface for heat exchange between the water of said reservoir and said exhaust gases, said partition being foraminated along the bottom portions thereof to divide the partially cooled and expanded exhaust gases into small gaseous streams adapted to bubble up through the water contained in said reservoir, a baiiie positioned above the top surface of said reservoir adapted to be impinged by bubbles of said exhaust gas emerging from the water in said reservoir con taining entrapped water so as to release the Water therefrom, a compartment disposed above said baiile containing fragmented material for entrapment in the voids thereof of water entrained in said exhaust gases not having been so removed by said baiile, said compartment having side walls and a bottom which are foraminated, a chamber within said housing disposed over said reservoir and communicating with said compartment, an exhaust pipe extending from said chamber to ambient, and a return pipe from said chamber to said reservoir, the end of said return pipe extending below the level of the water in said reservoir for returning water to said reservoir which has become entrapped in said last named chamber.

4. A conditioner for removing irritating and noxious constituents from the exhaust gases of a Diesel engine or the like which comprises a housing having therein a reservoir adapted to contain water, a vertical partition spaced from one of the side Walls of said housing, said partition defining one wall of said reservoir and a chamber With one Wall of said housing, said chamber providing for expansion of exhaust gases from said engine, the partition providing a surface for heat exchange between the water of said reservoir and said exhaust gases, said partition being foraminated along the bottom portions thereof to divide the partially cooled and expanded exhaust gases into small gaseous streams adapted to bubble up through the water contained in said reservoir, a baiiie positioned above the top surface of said reservoir adapted to be impinged by bubbles of said exhaust gas emerging from the Water in said reservoir containing entrapped water so as to release the water therefrom, a compartment disposed above said bafiie containing fragmented material for entrapment in the voids thereof of water entrained in said exhaust gases not having been so removed by said bafe, said compartment having side walls and a bottom which are foraminated, a chamber within said housing disposed over said reservoir and communicating with said compartment, and an exhaust pipe extending from said chamber to ambient.

5. The invention as dened in claim 4 wherein said reservoir communicates with a closed standpipe having communication with means sensitive to the level in said standpipe for operation of circuit means closing the supply of air to said Diesel engine.

6. A conditioner for removing irritating and noxious constituents from the exhaust gases of a Diesel engine or the like which comprises a housing having therein a reservoir adapted to contain water, a vertical partition spaced from one of the side walls of said housing, said partition defining one wall of said reservoir and a chamber with one wall of said housing, a manifold connected to said chamber and having means therein for diverting exhaust gases in directions alongside said partition, said chamber providing for expansion of exhaust gases from said engine, the partition providing a surface for heat exchange between the water of said reservoir and said exhaust gases, said partition being foraminated along the bottom portions thereof to divide the partially cooled and expanded exhaust gases into small gaseous streams adapted to bubble up through the water contained in said reservoir, a ba'ie positioned above the top surface of said reservoir adapted to be impinged by bubbles of said exhaust gas emerging from the water in said reservoir containing entrapped water so as to release the water therefrom, a compartment disposed above said baiiie containing fragmented material for entrapment in the voids thereof of water entrained in said exhaust gases not having been so removed by said bafe, said compartment having side walls and a bottom which are foraminated, a chamber within said housing disposed over said reservoir and communicating With said compartment, an exhaust pipe extending from said chamber to ambient, and a return pipe from said chamber to said reservoir, the end of said return pipe extending below the level of the water in said reservoir for returning water to said reservoir which has become entrapped in said last named chamber.

7. A conditioner for removing irritating and noxious constituents from the exhaust gases of a diesel engine or the like which comprises a walled housing, a vertical partition spaced from one of the walls of said housing so as to divide said walled housing into two side by side walled chambers, one of said chambers being substantially smaller than the other and being connected to the exhaust manifold of said engine so as to enable exhaust gases to be expanded therein, the second of said chambers containing a body of liquid. said vertical partition providing a surface for heat exchange between the liquid of said second chamber and said exhaust gases and being foraminated along the bottom portions thereof to divide the partially cooled and expanded exhaust gases into small gaseous streams which bubble up through the liquid contained in said second chamber, a baiile positioned above the top surface of said second chamber arranged to be impinged by bubbles of said exhaust gas emerging from the liquid in said second chamber containing entrapped liquid so as to release the liquid therefrom, a compartment disposed above said baffle containing intersticed material for entrapment in the interstices thereof of liquid entrained in said exhaust gases not having been so removed by said baille, said compartment having side walls and a bottom which are foraminated for return of liquid from said intersticed material to said second chamber, a further chamber disposed over said second chamber and communicating with said compartment, an exhaust pipe leading from said compartment to ambient, and a return pipe from said further chamber to said second chamber, the end of said return pipe extending below the level of the liquid in said second chamber.

8. A conditioner for removing irritating and noxious constituents from the exhaust gases of a Diesel engine or the like which comprises a walled housing, a vertical partition spaced from one of the walls of said housing so as to divide said walled housing into two side by side Walled chambers, one of said chambers being substantially smaller than the other and being connected to the exhaust manifold of said engine so as to enable exhaust gases to be expanded therein, the second of said chambers containing a body of liquid, said vertical partition providing a surface for heat exchange between the liquid of said second chamber and said exhaust gases and being foraminated along the bottom portions thereof to divide the partially cooled and expanded exhaust gases into small gaseous streams which bubble up through the liquid contained in said second chamber, a baffle positioned above the top surface of said second chamber arranged to be impinged by bubbles of said exhaust gas emerging from the liquid in said second chamber containing entrapped liquid so as to release the liquid therefrom, a compartment disposed above said baie containing intersticed material for entrapment in the interstices thereof of liquid entrained in said exhaust gases not having been so removed by said baffle, said compartment having side walls and a bottom which are foraminated for return of liquid from said intersticed material to said second chamber, and an exhaust pipe leading from said compartment to ambient.

9. The invention as defined in claim 8 wherein said second chamber communicates with a standpipe, and wherein means are provided sensitive to the level in said standpipe for operation of circuit means controlling the operationof said Diesel engine.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,867,325 Neville July 12, 1932 2,017,481 Von Opel Oct. 15, 1935 2,612,745 Vecchio Oct. 7, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 249,464 Great Britain Aug. 14, 1925 466,321 Great Britain May 26, 1937 

